Chapter 2819 — No Way Back

"It is very high here. With my jumping height, there is no way I can leap up in one bound." Tian Chan looked at the sheer cliff and shook her head, the worry in her eyes deepening.

"Then... what if we do not go up from here, but instead follow the mountain range all the way along?" Wei Zhao asked. "This range must have an end somewhere, surely?"

"An end... perhaps there is one, perhaps not, or perhaps even if there is, there may be other dangers as well." Tian Chan shook her head. "I know this place better than you do. The other side of the Five Baleful Mountains is a dead end."

"A dead end?!" Wei Zhao stared at Tian Chan in alarm. "You mean that apart from turning back from here, there is no way out on the other side either?"

"That is right. Legend has it that the Five Baleful Mountains are a boundary line. On the other side of the range dwell spirit beasts of a higher grade—the legendary celestial spirit beasts!" Tian Chan said. "The Five Baleful Mountains are where the king of the spirit beasts of the Five Baleful Lands has resided, generation after generation. When it succeeds in advancing to the celestial path, it yields the Five Baleful Mountains to its successor—the new king of the spirit beasts of the Five Baleful Lands—while the old king, now advanced to the celestial path, crosses the range to the far side, where it is said all celestial spirit beasts make their home..."

"..." Wei Zhao was somewhat at a loss for words. He had been counting on there being some way out in that boundless, distant expanse, but now it seemed there was no hope at all. Since Tian Chan had come here to receive her inheritance, she must know this place better than he did.

Earlier, a single spirit beast at the peak of the late celestial stage had already left the two of them in a sorry state. If they pressed on from here and ran into a whole pack of celestial spirit beasts, that would be plain suicide. Wei Zhao would sooner wait here to die than go over there and deliver himself to death.

"Then... there really is no way out?" Wei Zhao looked at the cliff not far ahead and spoke with some helplessness. He had never imagined that one day he would find himself trapped in a valley.

"For the moment I cannot think of any way..." Tian Chan shook her head, her brows tightly knit, lost in thoughts unknown.

"If we do not get out, will anyone come looking for us?" What Wei Zhao actually wanted to ask was whether anyone would come looking for Tian Chan. Since she was here to receive an inheritance, she must be an important figure in the Five Luminaries Sect—surely the sect would not simply leave her to her fate?

"Probably not..." Tian Chan shook her head. "I am not sure either..."

"All right. Are you hungry? I will fix us something to eat, and then we can think of a plan?" Wei Zhao asked.

"I am all right. I am a celestial-stage expert; I can go without food..." Tian Chan shook her head. "But there is not a shred of physical true qi left in my body, so I really am a little hungry."

"Then I will go find something to eat." For the time being Wei Zhao could not think of any good way to leave either, so he could only find something to eat first.

He was not yet as familiar with the terrain here as Tian Chan was. If Tian Chan said there was no way, then there was no way. So the only thing Wei Zhao considered now was whether he could climb the sheer cliff—rather than leaving by some other direction.

"Sky Thunder Pig, is there anything good to eat around here?" Wei Zhao turned his head and asked the Sky Thunder Pig.

"Eh? Is that a Sky Thunder Pig?!" Hearing Wei Zhao speak, Tian Chan turned her attention to the Sky Thunder Pig and was instantly astonished.

"You know the Sky Thunder Pig?" Wei Zhao was taken aback; he had not expected Tian Chan to recognize it.

"Yes. I have seen records of it—the contract spirit beast of Zhang Liju, the Alchemy God of his generation. How is it at your side?" Tian Chan paused slightly, then recalled that Wei Zhao had been to Zhang Liju's ancient tomb, so it was hardly surprising that he would have the Alchemy God's contract spirit beast in hand.

"Heh, by a stroke of luck, this little fellow took to me." Wei Zhao stroked the Sky Thunder Pig's head and said no more. He and Tian Chan seemed to get along well, but in truth each was holding something back; everyone has secrets—secrets that cannot be told.

"I see. I have heard that this little creature can sniff out treasure. Is that true or not?" Tian Chan asked.

"That part is true. It was this little fellow who led me here, to find this essence core inner pill," Wei Zhao said honestly.

"Oink, oink!" The Sky Thunder Pig nodded smugly.

"How adorable. May I hold it?" Tian Chan had never expected to encounter a Sky Thunder Pig here—this was her grand-master's contract spirit beast, and simply holding it, she felt, would let her share in some of her grand-master's spiritual aura.

"You may, though this little thing is shy around strangers..." Before Wei Zhao could finish, however, the Sky Thunder Pig had already leaped into Tian Chan's arms, leaving Wei Zhao speechless. He said, somewhat disgruntled, "Could you two be of the same clan? What is the matter with this little creature?"

"The same clan?" Tian Chan blinked.

"You are both surnamed Tian!" Wei Zhao laughed.

"How hateful—you are the one of the same clan as a pig." Tian Chan shot Wei Zhao a glare, yet it was bewitchingly charming, enough to overthrow the masses, and Wei Zhao's breath caught.

"Heh heh..." Wei Zhao laughed.

"It seems to like me a great deal?" Tian Chan noticed how close the Sky Thunder Pig was to her.

"That still does not mean I am giving it to you," Wei Zhao said.

"How stingy." Tian Chan returned the Sky Thunder Pig to Wei Zhao. Yet after she said it, even she found it strange—that she could be so coquettish. Was it because... he had seen her body? Or was it because, here beneath the cliff, no one knew what tomorrow would bring?

"Heh heh." Wei Zhao took the Sky Thunder Pig back and said, "Come on, let us go find food."

"Oink, oink!" The Sky Thunder Pig looked a little hungry too, and trotted off cheerfully in one direction, leading Wei Zhao along.

Tian Chan meant to follow, but then thought of how exhausted her body was, without a trace of physical true qi. She should not be spending more strength now; better to sit down and cultivate for a while, which would also restore and ease her somewhat.

So Wei Zhao left, and Tian Chan sat on the ground, crossing her legs to begin absorbing the spiritual qi of heaven and earth. The baleful qi of the Five Baleful Lands here was a nightmare to other cultivators, but to Tian Chan it was a rare place for cultivation. The spiritual qi of heaven and earth here was exceedingly pure; though it carried five attributes, she too was a five-attribute cultivator, so the baleful qi here would do her no harm at all.

Wei Zhao followed the Sky Thunder Pig all the way to the edge of a natural pond. The pig pointed at the water with its claw and gave two squeals of "oink, oink."

"You are saying there is food in this pond?" Wei Zhao walked to the edge of the pond, but remained on his guard—who knew whether there were spirit beasts in the water?RS

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